Your Highness
by Emmagleek16
Summary: Blaine has a huge secret about who he really is. Can Kurt forgive him for the two years of lies? (I don't own Glee or the characters)
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, guys! This is a brand new story about Kurt and Blaine, but with a little twist – Blaine never went to McKinley and didn't meet Kurt at the same point as in _Glee_. However, this didn't stop them from becoming a couple, but there's one more twist – Blaine has a huge secret about himself. Will Kurt ever forgive him for all the lies?**

 **I've decided to change a few things, both in our own reality, but also in the show _Glee_. I really hope you will like this version. Please notice: this is a short first chapter to introduce you to the story. More chapters will come really soon! And I promise they'll be longer. Ready to begin the reading? Well, I hope so! Here we go!**

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I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. Everything happened so fast. It was hard to hold back the tears, but even harder to look him in the eyes. I had disappointed him and made a huge mistake. Now there was nothing I could do to fix it.

"Kurt," I started, knowing I sounded desperate. "I'm sorry."

He just shook his head and looked away.

"Please let me explain," I begged.

There was a few seconds of complete silence, but then he finally looked at me. "Fine," he said shortly and crossed his arms. "Explain."

I sighed in relief and tried to think of a good explanation. How would I tell him the truth? Could the truth even make up for all the lies I've told? Probably not, but this was my last chance. _You can do this, Blaine._

"You are so important to me," I began, meaning every word. "We have been together for almost two years now and I've never been more happy in my entire life. When we first met at Regionals, I couldn't take my eyes of you. There was something special about you and how you apologized a million times for bumping into me. After the competition I couldn't stop myself – I needed to ask for your number. I was so nervous while waiting for your answer, but thankfully you said yes. Thereafter, all of our dates at the Lima Bean went amazing. I felt so lucky to have found someone like you. Unfortunately, my lies began pretty quickly. You asked a lot of questions about my family and it became harder and harder to avoid the truth. I-"

"Blaine," he interrupted with a natural face. "What _is_ the truth?"

 _Here we go._ "I'm one of the Princes of England."

"Wait, what? This is unbelievable," he exclaimed and looked more upset than ever. "I'm leaving."

Kurt grabbed his jacket and quickly got up from the couch. He walked with fast steps to the front door, but just when he was about to leave, he stopped. I could hear how fast he was breathing. Slowly, he turned around with tears all over his face. I would never forget his glance. It was like a picture; words were not enough to describe what I saw.

I got up from the couch as well. "I promise I'm not lying."

He laughed without joy. "How can I trust you? This is obviously another lie."

"Then why haven't you left, Kurt?" I asked and took a few steps closer to him. "I think you know I'm telling the truth, you're just scared to realise it."

He put a hand on his hip and wiped away the most of the tears with the other. "Of course I'm scared. I'm scared to not know you! Even if all this _was_ true, which is crazy, I don't know if I could ever trust you again."

I nodded slowly. "I understand. But if you want proofs, I could ask my brother to call you."

"Great, your mysterious brother that you never talk about. I feel so honored," he said sarcastically. "What was his name again? Oh right, you've never told me."

"Cooper Anderson," I said quickly.

No more lies. Not ever. I would tell Kurt everything and hope for the best. I loved him and would never forgive myself if I didn't fight for our relationship. He deserved to know my background, to know who I really was.

"Cooper Anderson?" he replied with huge eyes. "The same Cooper Anderson as the Crown Prince of England?"

"Yeah, he's the one," I said. "I'm honestly terrified to see him take over the throne."

"Really? And why is that?" Kurt asked curiously. He didn't look angry anymore. _Finally._

I couldn't help but laugh a little. "When you meet him, you'll understand."

Just like that, angry Kurt was back on track. "Oh? So I'll get to meet him? How nice. Maybe he can tell me the truth to the _two years_ of lies?"

"Kurt, I'm so sorry. I didn't-"

He raised his hand. "That's enough… _Your Highness_."

He slammed the door behind him. I knew there was no point in following him. Instead I stared at the door blankly, hoping he would come back. But he didn't.

Suddenly, I couldn't hold back my own tears anymore.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here comes a new chapter! Hope you'll like it!**

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I tried to call Kurt, but he didn't pick up. Everything felt so pointless. I had literally no idea what to do. My lies were unforgivable. I knew that. I'm a prince of a land in Europe and I didn't tell my boyfriend about it. This was my own fault and there was no one else to blame. Maybe I should try to forget about Kurt? He deserved someone better than me. But the problem was – I couldn't.

I graduated from Dalton Academy a few weeks ago. It was very expensive to go there, so I was lucky to have rich parents. The only people who knew about my true identity were the teachers and my closest friends. I liked to have it that way. I wanted people to hang out with me because they _enjoyed_ my company and not because of my title. This was partly why I lied to Kurt as well.

Kurt graduated last year. He talked a lot about our future as soon as he left McKinley High School. We planned many fun trips to do together after my graduation. I had never seen so bright at my future as back then. This was basically the life I've always dreamed of. But unfortunately, it was too good to be true.

Now I lived in an apartment in Westerville. My parents paid for it, of course. Sometimes I wished I could be more like everyone else. I often felt spoiled when I saw how my friends lived their lives, struggling with getting a job to pay for their living. But the truth was; I couldn't run from my title forever. My parents wanted me back in England as soon as possible. I knew my mom missed me, but my dad just wanted me home for good publicity. Apparently, I was in the newspapers all the time: _Where is the prince? Why doesn't he live at the palace anymore? Is he ashamed to represent our country?_ I knew I needed to get back, but there was one thing that stopped me – Kurt.

Maybe it was selfish to think of my own life when there was a whole country that counted on me? It felt terrible to put it that way. I wanted to make everything right in one single move, but it was impossible. Unfortunately.

I was so deep in my own thoughts, that when I heard a knock on the door, I almost jumped out of the couch.

I stood up quickly and looked at my wristwatch – close to midnight. Who could it be this late?

I opened the door, hoping it would be Kurt, but I couldn't have been more wrong.

"Your Highness, you need to come with us, immediately."

I stared at the two men in front of me. I knew them both very well. They've been working at the palace as long as I could remember, mostly as bodyguards for my family. They were both – literally – _twice_ as big as me (if not more).

"What? Why?" I asked in shock.

"Your brother has said something very wrong in public."

"Okay… And what has that to do with me, exactly?" I said, trying to understand why I suddenly had to leave with such a short notice.

"A paparazzi overheard him talking to a woman about… _things_ ," Tony said with a straight face.

Tony was the tallest of the bodyguards. He was almost sixty years, had grey short hair and green eyes. The other man, Jack, was more closely to fifty, had brown hair and hazel eyes.

"Oh," I said, but my eyes got bigger when I finally realised what he meant. "Oh, _things_."

"Yeah," Tony said and nodded without looking at me.

"It would be great if Your Highness could come with us. The palace needs a distraction," Jack said.

"Did my dad send you?" I asked.

"Yes," Jack confirmed and looked down at his watch. "We must get going. The sooner, the better."

I had no other choice but to pack my things and leave the apartment. It felt terrible in so many ways.

A couple of hours later, I was seated in a private jet, on my way to London. My heart broke for every minute that passed by. _I had left Kurt._

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 **I'm sorry for not writing a longer chapter! I will make it up to you!**


	3. Chapter 3

**As promised, here comes a longer chapter!**

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I looked at Buckingham Palace while I stepped out of the limousine. This building was my home as a child, together with Windsor Castle. It felt like I had a million memories from here, but at the same time not.

My parents were just about to hire private teachers for my first year at "high school" when I left. I couldn't take being a prince anymore, couldn't stand my dad's punishments and how he yelled at me every day for not being good enough. However, I didn't want to seem ungrateful either. I knew I was lucky and I felt proud over my family for their hard work. This was just not a life for me. People waved, took photos and smiled at me wherever I went. My brother had always loved it, but I wasn't like him. I didn't want a life as a royal.

My dream had always been to become a singer. To be one would be incredible. Unreal, even. I loved to sing, but as a prince I didn't get many chances to do it in my busy schedule. I thought it might be different somewhere else. A small town in America seemed like a good option, so that was where I went.

Because of my phone, my parents found out pretty quickly where I went. It was not hard to track it, something I had forgotten about. However, I didn't mind. All my life, I had been known for being polite and obedient. Honestly, I felt really bad for what I did. I covered myself up, got on a plane and flew to America. It was so unlike me. But as soon as Kurt came into my life, everything felt almost forgotten.

"Your Highness? Shall we go inside?" Jack asked. Something in his voice made it clear that he had asked several times.

"Yes, of course," I said and started to walk, knowing everyone behind me took care of my luggage.

I felt quite nervous when Tony opened the doors to the palace. How would my family greet me after everything? Of course, we had stayed in touch by calling, but it was definitely not the same thing as meeting in person.

I went inside. My mom embraced me as soon as she saw me. In that moment, I realise how much I had missed her. I couldn't hold back my tears when she looked at me with a big smile through her owns. "I'm so glad you're home, Blaine," she said.

I smiled. "Me too."

A few moments later, I saw my dad and brother come against me. Cooper gave me a small smile, but my dad had his normal poker face on.

I looked at Cooper, unsure how to greet him. Our relationship had always been a little up and down. One day we could share a good laugh and another, we didn't even speak to each other. Luckily, I didn't have to think too long. Before I knew it, Cooper had embraced me in a big hug. "My little brother is back!" he exclaimed.

My dad cleared his throat. I quickly let go of Cooper.

"Son," he started and laid a hand on my shoulder. I swallowed hard. "I'm not happy for what you did, but I'm grateful that you came back. We do need you at the palace."

I nodded. I felt relieved that my family reacted with such an understanding.

"Why don't you go to your room and make yourself at home? We'll be eating soon," my mom said.

"Sure," I agreed and turned to face the people who were holding my luggage. "Thank you for your help, but I can take my bags from here."

"Of course, Your Highness," a woman said and handed them over to me.

I smiled at my family one last time before I went through the halls and corridors to come to my old room. I opened the door and froze. It felt so weird to be back. Everything looked exactly the same since for three years ago. It almost was like the time had stopped when I was gone.

I went inside and closed the door behind me. I laid a hand on the bed in my huge room and tried to take everything in. _I was home_. _I was really home_.

I sat down on the bed and let out a small sigh. Everything had happened so fast. Too fast. For only a few days ago, me and Kurt had talked about our future. Now I didn't know if we had one anymore.

In the next second, my dad opened the door. Of course, without knocking. I jumped up from the bed like it was illegal to sit on it.

"I've called the press. They'll interview you in five minutes."

"Okay, I'll come in a minute," I said.

He nodded and left.

It was weird how everything could go back to normal as soon as I put my foot in the palace. It made me think of why I left.

I looked at myself in the mirror at the wall. I looked tired. I had barely slept an hour last night, which was really obvious by only looking at me. _Great_.

"You can do this," I whispered to myself. With these four words I left my room and put on a big smile as soon as I saw the press. All the cameras were directed at me and I knew England was watching my every move. This would also be on YouTube for the rest of the world to see. If I did one single mistake, it could cost my family's reputation.

"Your Highness," the female reporter greeted. "It's good to see you back in the palace. It has been a while."

I nodded. "Yes, it feels really good to be back as well. I've missed London a lot."

"I hope you don't mind me asking, Your Highness, but where have you been?"

 _I do mind_. "Of course not. I've been taking some time off to explore the world and in that way get some new ideas for how to make England better as a country."

"So you don't think England is good as it is?"

She tried to put me in a trap. Luckily, I was prepared. "I think England is a wonderful country and I'm so proud to represent it. I just believe there's always something you can do to improve and develop it. It's important to see you around in the world. In every place you will find something good, something that you can bring to your own home."

"That's very true, Your Highness," she said. "How long will you stay in England now?"

"As long as I can. There were a few people I didn't get to say goodbye to properly when I left to get back here."

"Oh, have any of these people a special place in your heart?" she asked and blinked at me.

I smiled a little. "You can say that."

After the interview, it was time to eat with my family.

"As you have understood, you need to be a distraction for a while," my mom said when we all sat around the table, ready to start eating.

"Yeah," I said. "Tony told me that Cooper had said some _things_ to a woman in public. What happened exactly?"

Cooper sighed and leaned back in the chair. "I didn't mean it to happen. I thought I was alone with Jessica."

"Well, you wasn't," my dad said angrily and took a sip of his wine.

Cooper sighed again. "I was just outside the palace. It was pretty late. Jessica was a one-night stand, and I didn't think what we were doing would come out to the press."

I wasn't surprised at all. I knew as soon as Tony told me. When Cooper talked to a woman about _things_ , it was always something dirty involved. "Really, Cooper? What were you thinking?" I exclaimed. "You can't just do something like that. You know that."

He didn't answer.

After we all had eaten up, I went to my room again. When I was just about to close my eyes for a nap, I saw my phone light up with a new message.

Kurt: _I saw your interview._

My heart skipped a beat.

Me: _Can we please talk?_

It took a few minutes before he replayed: _Okay._


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the wait! Hope you'll like this chapter!**

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It was time to call Kurt, and I felt really nervous. I wasn't even sure what I was going to say. This was not like when I talked to the press. In front of the cameras, I knew exactly what they wanted to hear. But with Kurt? Well, it was different. He wasn't just anybody. I loved him. Of course, I loved England as well – but not in the same way. Kurt was the love of my life, while England was my life. The difference might not seem big if you put it that way. But for me, it was a huge difference.

There were so many questions in my head right now; _Would he be angry or sad when he picked up? Did he missed me as much as I missed him? Would he be able to forgive me? Was it a possibility at all?_ I deeply hoped so.

I was just about to call him when his name lighted up on the screen. I took a deep breath while I put the phone to my ear. _Here we go_.

"Hey," I said and nervously played with a loose thread on my shirt.

"Hey," Kurt said with a very neutral voice. It was hard to tell in which mood he was.

"I'm glad you decided to talk to me," I continued.

"Well, I'm not angry anymore," he clarified and was quiet for a few seconds. "More disappointed."

I nodded, even if I knew he couldn't see it. "Will you let me explain?"

"Go ahead."

I closed my eyes. _This was it_. "Okay, here comes the truth… I never wanted to lie to you. When I first came to Ohio, I hadn't expect to meet someone like you. Honestly, I hadn't even expect to find friends. My only goal – to begin with – was to get away from England. I couldn't handle being a prince anymore."

"Okay, but why did you decide to go to Ohio of all places?" he asked.

"Well, I thought somewhere in America would be a good place to hide. It was far away from England and also in another continent. People wouldn't expect me to be there. That I decided to go to Ohio in particular was actually by chance. I saw it on a map and thought it seemed perfect. However, my parents found out pretty quickly about this. They tracked my phone. When I got in touch with them, they yelled at me for a good while. My dad threatened to send someone to get me. After a couple of hours of discussions, I persuaded them. I told them that it would be good for me to get a chance to learn about other countries. In that way, I could seem more well-read in public, which was something my dad found really good."

"So you don't have the best relationship with your parents?" Kurt guessed.

"No, not really. Everything is fine with my mom. I know she really cares about me. But when it comes to my dad… I'm not so sure," I said and blinked away a few tears. "Throughout my childhood I tried to make him proud. Every night, I was up late and studied everything my private teacher had told me during the day. When the press came to the palace, I always tried to stand straight and answer polite if someone asked me a question. However, if I was really tired after studying all night, I couldn't perform at the same level. These days, my dad used to take my to my room and slap me if I didn't do things as he wanted. When I think of it… He probably saw me more like a robot than a son. The slaps were his way to try to reprogram me to the better."

"Blaine, I'm so sorry," he said and I could hear the compassion in his voice. "Was he the same to Cooper?"

"Not completely. Cooper was always so easygoing with the press. Everyone loved him. I was more of a work in progress. For my brother, everything came naturally. However, much changed when he got older. He started to sleep with girls all the time. My dad was furious over this. Luckily, it didn't come out to the press – until now. That was why I needed to get back to London in such a short notice. I was forced to be a distraction."

Kurt was quiet for a while. I listened to the sound of his breath. "I'm starting to understand," he finally said. "But I still don't get why you didn't tell me about any of this? I could have supported you."

"I know. I'm really sorry, Kurt. It was not that I didn't trust you. I just wanted to start a new life where not everyone knew who I was. I wanted people to hang out with me because they actually liked me, and not because of my title. It has always been really hard for me to get true friends."

"Were you planning on telling me at some point?"

"Yes, of course. I thought it would be a good time to tell you after I graduated. Thereafter, if you still loved me the same, our lives together could have begun for real. But unfortunately, you found out that I had lied before I got the chance to tell you."

"It was not that hard to find out, Blaine," he said, sounding slightly stern at the tone. "It was pretty obvious that you hid something. There were a few subjects you really wanted to avoid; parts of your past, your family and where you came from. When I accidentally heard the phone call with your dad, a lot fell into place, but also became even more confusing. You talked about not wanting to return to your home in England, and that you didn't want to get back to the spotlight get. In that moment, I understood how much you've been keeping from me."

I couldn't help but wonder if people often heard my phone calls through the door to my apartment in Westerville. In that case, I would have been on really deep water when it came to keeping a low profile. Most of the time, I talked pretty open about my life behind that door. _Great job, Blaine_.

But in this moment, I couldn't care about the people who might have heard me. The only person who meant something was Kurt. I needed to think of a way to make up for everything – and that was quick.

"I had no right to lie to you about who I am, but does anything really have to change because you know the truth?" I asked, hoping for an answer in particular.

"I don't know, Blaine. What do you think?" Kurt said sarcastically. "Maybe you should just move back here, so we can live happily ever after? Isn't that a realistic plan?"

I couldn't come up with an answer, so I remained silent.

"Can you honestly think that everything will go back to normal?" he continued. "You're a _prince_ , Blaine. You need to be where you are, and I need to be here. I have a work at Vogue. I'm living my dream. This is how things have to be right now."

"So if you get to live your dream, I don't have the rights to live mine?" I asked and couldn't help but get a bit angry.

"I didn't say-"

"It feels like I'm trapped here," I interrupted. "I can't go anywhere without bodyguards. Sometimes my own home feels like a prison. My dad is always staring me down. I just want a life where I can be myself. Is that too much to ask for?"

"No, it's not. But you are needed at the palace right now. You must help Cooper. I think you know that," Kurt said. His voice had became softer.

"Yes, I do. I just wish Cooper hadn't hooked up with that girl in the first place. I really miss America."

I heard a small sigh, but it didn't come from the phone. I looked at the door to my room and saw Cooper stand there.

"I planned it. I talked to Jessica in front of a paparazzi on purpose. I wanted you back here. Had that theory never hit you?" Cooper said and left.

No. No, it hadn't.


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm really sorry for the very long wait this time! I've been on vacation with my family, so I wasn't able to write. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!**

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I sat in my bed, staring at the wall in front of me. The phone call with Kurt could have gone worse, but also a lot better. I felt like he didn't understand me. But honestly, how could he? Everything was a mess. I just wanted a normal life for a while and it ended up with me hurting the person I loved the most. I was selfish. Right now, it was the only word I wanted to use to describe myself. _Selfish_.

I didn't want Kurt to give up his dream. That he had got a job at Vogue was truly amazing. I was so proud of him. However, I couldn't avoid my selfishness that took over from here. I wanted Kurt to be with me. Right now. I missed him so badly. Maybe he could find a new job here in London? At some place he would love as much as Vogue? But then, I would be stuck with my prince title forever. Me and Kurt wouldn't be able to do anything the normal way anymore.

It seemed like my only option was to move back to America. But then, I would let both my family and everyone in England down. I might not be the Crown Prince, but I knew I was needed here to keep up a good reputation. The headlines at the magazines wouldn't be good if I moved. This would affect my dad in a very negative way. Who knows what he would do to me during my last days at the palace, and in the upcoming future as well… I felt nervous when I thought about it.

Even if I did succeed with getting back to America, it would be difficult to keep my identity covered. The press would wonder where I went and keep looking for me. They wouldn't stop until they found me. Some good gossip was worth a lot to them.

But maybe it could work to stay in Ohio? It _had_ worked for three years. However, I knew it would be different now. When I went to America the first time, no one knew I was out of the country. The most of the paparazzi were probably looking for me in England, thinking I wouldn't be too far away from home. If I did the same thing again – went to Westerville – everyone would understand that I could be anywhere in the world. My interview earlier made it obvious. They would probably even assume that I was far away from England. So this would, unfortunately, not be a good option either.

I looked at the clock standing on my bedside table. _2:16 am_. I should really get some sleep. It would be a long day tomorrow. More time with the press. More time in the spotlight. More time with my dad.

I turned off the light and tried to make myself comfortable in the bed. It was easier said than done. After around twenty minutes, I started to think of my brother. When I closed my eyes, I saw the scene of him walking out of my room after telling me the real reason why I was here. _He wanted me home. He planned it all._

I hadn't got a chance to talk to him get. I'd ended the phone call with Kurt as soon as Cooper left my room. I tried to catch up with him, but he was gone. For a while, I was looking for him around the palace. Without any luck. I couldn't find him and eventually, I gave up.

After a long while of thinking of both Kurt and Cooper, I decided to skip the sleeping part. Instead, I went up and found a way through the dark corridors to Cooper's room. I didn't knock when I arrived. I let myself in and closed the door behind me.

To my surprise, everything was quite bright in his room. The most of the lamps were on. Cooper sat on the edge of his bed, reading something.

"Cooper," I said and took a few steps towards him.

He looked up at me in surprise. "Blaine? What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you. About earlier," I said and sat down next to him.

He raised an eyebrow. "In the middle of the night?"

"Yeah," I said and looked down at my lap.

He sighed and put away the magazine he was holding. "Fine. What's up?"

"I just don't understand. Why do you want me back here? You know how awful dad was to me."

He sighed once again. "Do you really have no clue?"

I looked at him and shook my head. I had no idea.

He was quiet for a few seconds and then laid a hand on my shoulder. "You're my little brother, Blaine. You didn't even talk to me about going to America. Suddenly, you were just gone," he said and looked away. "As children, we didn't always get along. We were so different. But we did have one thing in common."

"That we both are royals?" I guessed.

He nodded. "We shared the same experiences. I remember when you were twelve and had had – according to you – an awful day in front of the cameras. You were so upset and disappointed in yourself. Then I told you about some of the mistakes I had made in public, and after that, you relaxed. Thereafter, you left me alone, and I assumed that you had gone to your room. When it was getting later, I decided to go to bed. I opened the door to my room and – there you were, sleeping peacefully in my bed."

I smiled at the memory. "For the first time, I didn't felt so alone."

He smiled as well. "We had each other."

I nodded. "We had."

We sat in silence for a while. Cooper didn't seem to mind it, and neither did I. However, after around five more minutes, I decided to break it. "I'm so sorry for just leaving like that. I didn't think."

He laughed a little. "Obviously."

"It was wrong and it won't happen again," I promised and looked away.

"Hey," he said and made me look at him again. "You did what you needed to do. Our dad is not easy to stand. I get that."

"How has he been to you when I was in Ohio?" I asked, a little afraid for the answer.

"Sometimes pretty horrible. But it was nothing compared to how he acted when he saw the headlines about me and Jessica."

"I can imagine."

"But it was worth it, though. I missed you, so I needed to do something. It felt so lonely here without you."

I smiled. "I'll be staying for a while now."

His eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Really," I confirmed.

Cooper looked at his wristwatch. "We should _definitely_ get some sleep."

"I guess so," I agreed. "But I just can't stop thinking about Kurt."

"Then you should bring him here. I think mom would love to meet him," he said.

"Sure, but then what?"

"The thing is, Blaine – you don't have to know. Stop planning your life and try to _live_ it instead."

I looked at him in surprise. He had completely right. I was always overthinking. I should be more like him and go with the flow. Everything might actually turn out okay if I did.

"Thank you," I said and got up from the bed.

"Anytime, little brother," he said and smiled.

I was just about to leave when I turned around. "And Cooper?"

"Yeah?"

"You're going to be an amazing king."

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 **Stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

I had been at the palace for a week now. Finally, I've started to get used to the old habits. But it had been really hard though. Every day, random people called me Your Highness and wherever I went, there were bodyguards close to me. This was how I lived my life for three years ago, but now… everything felt different. I wasn't the same person anymore.

Kurt Hummel changed me. He learned me to see the world in a whole new perspective. Every weekend, he planned something fun for us to do. Our first dates were always at the Lima Bean, but as the time passed, our relationship became more and more serious. That was when Kurt started to take me to places I've never been before. One day, we went bowling. It was so much fun. As soon as we arrived, Kurt started to complain about the shoes you had to wear. He said that they were so out of today's fashion industry. He just couldn't understand why the rest of the world moved forward with new trends, but these shoes stayed the same. His theory was a bit funny to me. As a prince, I owned a lot of clothes that only were for the sake of tradition. I would have loved to tell him that, just to see the expression on his face.

Kurt asked about my family _a lot_. Probably because I never gave him any straight answers. I told him about me growing up in England and that my family still lived there, but that was pretty much it. I didn't lie, but I didn't tell him the truth either. I was always somewhere in between. I tried to be as honest as I could, without revealing myself. Did it sometimes led to white lies? Unfortunately, yes.

"Your Highness?" a maid said. "Are you done?"

I looked at my unfinished breakfast. I had barely eaten anything.

My mom looked at me from the other side of the table. She seemed concerned. I could understand her. Lately, I had been out of focus most of the time.

"Um," I said, unsure what I wanted. "Why don't you safe this for me to eat later?"

"Of course," the maid said and started to clean the table.

My dad cleaned his throat from where he sat, besides my mom. "Blaine, I need to have a word with you."

I nodded slowly. "Sure."

I turned my eyes to Cooper. He gave me a small comforting smile. "You got this," he mimed.

My dad got up from the table and I followed him to his workroom. He didn't say anything until he had made sure that the door was completely closed.

He sat down in a comfy chair behind his huge desk. "So Blaine," he started and gesticulated to one of the chairs on the opposite side. "Why don't you have a seat?"

I nodded and sat down. This felt more like a business meeting than a talk with my dad.

"Every bad rumor about Cooper will soon be completely forgotten," he said and smiled for himself.

"And what has that to do with me?" I asked carefully, terrified for the answer.

"It has _everything_ to do with you," he answered. "You came back here to be the distraction, didn't you?"

"I guess so," I murmured. "What do you want me to do?"

"That's an excellent question," he said and pulled his chair closer to the desk. _Closer to me_. "You need to be in public as much as possible. Do what it takes to make everyone love you. If the press ask about your brother, tell them something good about him and then change the subject."

I nodded. I was a little surprised, but also relieved. This didn't sound so bad. I _could_ do this.

"I assume you know what's happening if you don't follow this?" he said after a moment of silence.

I knew. I knew too well. _Slaps_. "Yes."

He nodded and looked satisfied. "Great. I'm glad we could have this talk. Now, go and get ready for the day."

I got up from the chair, opened the door and left the room.

When I went through the corridors, I started to think of Kurt. Again. We hadn't talked since our last phone call a week ago. However, I'd texted him a few times. He did answer, but only with very short responses. If I asked how his day had been, he just answered: good. He never wrote anything over three words. I didn't know how to take that. Perhaps, I should be happy he responded at all?

"Blaine!" Cooper shouted from the end of the corridor. He gesticulated that I should come. "A reporter wants to speak to us outside the palace."

 _Great_. I knew I didn't have a choice, so I increased my walk speed and joined him. I could almost feel how my dad watched me from behind.

"She said she only wanted to ask a few questions. It wouldn't take long," Cooper explained.

"Okay," I said while we stepped out of the palace.

A cameraman came closer and zoomed in on us. For every time he adjusted the camera, I became more and more nervous. _Everything needs to go perfect. You can't screw this up. Everyone is counting on you._

"Good morning, Your Highnesses," the young female reporter said.

Me and Cooper smiled as a greeting.

"You have a birthday coming up soon, Sir," she continued and looked at Cooper.

"I do," he answered and suddenly laid an arm around my shoulders. "But I'm not only having a celebration for myself. I'm very happy to have my brother back here, so of course I would like to share this day with him."

If the reporter and the camera hadn't been here, I would have looked at Cooper with huge eyes. I thought he knew I didn't like this kind of attention? Why couldn't he let me be in the shadows on his special day? But it didn't take long before it hit me – this was my dad's idea.

"How do you feel about this?" the reporter asked and looked at me.

I smiled. "It's an honor. I hadn't expect it at all."

"You better buy a good present," Cooper joked.

I laughed and nodded. "I will try."

The reporter smiled at both of us. "When and where will this celebration take place?"

"In a week. It will be in the ballroom at the palace," Cooper answered.

She nodded. "That sounds great. Thank you so much for your time."

"Thank you for coming by," Cooper said politely, and I nodded in agreement.

After the interview, I ate my leftover breakfast while Cooper explained more about his birthday party. He confirmed that getting me involved was our dad's idea. He had nothing to do with it, just as I had assumed.

During Cooper's day, I would have to hold a short speech and mingle, but that was pretty much it. These were the things I had been trained for my whole life, so I didn't feel too nervous about it. However, I knew I would be when the day come. Today, I could barely manage a small interview. But I tried to not blame myself too hard for it. I hadn't done any of this in three years. It was understandable to not be on top right now. At least – I hoped so.

In the beginning of the afternoon, I sat in my room and tried to write down the short speech for my brother's birthday. I wouldn't have the note with me when it was time, but it always felt better to think of some ideas before.

There was a knock on the door. "Blaine?"

It was my mom.

"Yes?" I said while she entered.

"You have a guest," she said and smiled.

"I have?" I asked in surprise.

She stepped aside from the door, so another person could enter.

My heart skipped a beat. "Kurt?"

"Hi," he said and gave me a small smile.

* * *

 **Yes, I do like cliffhangers. More will come soon! Thank you for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi, everyone! It took me some time to write this chapter. I have actually no idea why. But now it's here, and I hope you like it!**

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I couldn't believe my eyes. Kurt was here. In England. It felt almost impossible to process. Was he really right in front of me? Was I dreaming? I had so many questions, but yet, I couldn't say a word. I just stared at him.

My mom smiled at both of us. "I'll leave you two alone," she said and closed the door behind her.

Kurt walked slowly to where I sat. He hesitated for a couple of seconds, but then sat down next to me.

For a moment, we just sat like that. His arm touched mine slightly. Without making it weird, any of us could easily pull apart. The space between us was enough for that. But I didn't move – and neither did he.

Suddenly, Kurt looked at the paper in my hand. "What are you doing?" he asked softly.

I needed to look at it to remember. _The speech for Cooper's birthday. Right._

I really wanted to say something, but nothing came out of my mouth. It felt like neither my body nor brain wanted cooperate. This made me stuck with saying nothing.

"Have I made you speechless?" he asked and smiled. I knew he was somewhere in between being serious and joking.

 _You always find new ways to make me speechless._ "Yes, you kind of have," I said honestly and became quiet again. After some time, I succeeded to look him in the eyes. "Kurt, what are you doing here?"

The smile on his lips faded away. "It's a long story," he said and sighed.

"I have time," I said and couldn't help but take his hand. "Has something happened?"

He nodded and looked away. A single tear went down his cheek.

"Please, talk to me," I said and squeezed his hand to comfort him. His eyes slowly found their way to mine again.

"I screwed up everything," he started and took a shaky breath. "I loved you, Blaine. I loved you with whole my heart. I told you everything. I told you about the most difficult times of my life. I really thought you did the same. Sometimes, it did felt like you kept a few things from me, but I tried to not think about it too much. You were my rock, and I needed you."

"Kurt, I-"

"I really needed you," he interrupted while more tears went down his cheeks. "When I found out about your lies, I didn't want to believe it. But later, it all made sense. When you went back to England without telling me, I finally understood. Why would a rich good-looking guy want to be with me? You were too good to be true. I wasn't important to you at all. I was just something temporary to have around when you were bored."

That hurt. A lot.

"This was my first thoughts after you left," he continued. His voice had became softer. "But then I saw your interview. You talked about how you didn't get the chance to say goodbye to a few people properly. When you said these words, there was a sparkle in your eyes. The same sparkle you often had when you looked at me. In that moment I realise how over dramatic I've been about all this. I didn't even give you a chance to explain. So that's when I decided to talk to you."

I nodded slowly. "I understand how hard all this must have been for you," I said and squeezed his hand one more time. "And Kurt?"

"Yes?"

"You are _always_ over dramatic," I said and smiled a little.

He smiled back and wiped away some of the tears with his free hand. "I guess so."

"Was this the end of your long story?" I asked gently.

"I'm afraid not," he said and sighed. "During all this time, I felt really hurt and lonely. I missed you. I tried to focus on my work as much as I possibly could, but it wasn't enough. A week ago, I got fired."

"Oh, Kurt," I said and gave him a hug. "I'm so sorry."

He pulled away and gave me a small smile. "It's okay. It was probably for the best, anyway. When I could stop thinking about work, there was only one thought left in my mind, the most important one – you."

I smiled with tears in my eyes.

"I'm sorry, it took me so long to realise it," he said and looked away.

I just shook my head and moved closer to him until my lips found his. I could tell he was surprised at first, but then he kissed me back gently.

The kiss tasted salt. I had no idea if it was because of my tears or his, but it didn't matter. What matter was that he was in my arms again. This time I would never let him go. I would hold him as tight as I possibly could. I knew, there were a lot of things we hadn't figured out get, but somehow, I just knew we would. All we needed was each other.

Kurt and I eventually stopped the kissing, but remained close to one another.

"You know I still love you?" I asked and rested my head on his shoulder.

He nodded slowly. "I think… when you finally find your soulmate, there's nothing in this world that can ever stop you from loving that person. At least, that's how I feel about you."

My heart started to beat faster. "So you forgive me?" I asked, but wouldn't let myself get too hopeful.

"You honestly think I would get on a plane and fly for so many hours _just_ to yell at you more?" he asked.

I couldn't help but laugh. "You never know."

He rolled his eyes, but then smiled a little. "After you explained why you kept so much from me, it was a lot to process. But I did understand. You wanted to live a normal life. You wanted to get away from being famous, so you could be yourself. This life-" He looked around my huge room. "-didn't suit you. There's nothing wrong with that."

I nodded. "Thank you for understanding."

We were quiet for a while.

"How do you feel about me being a prince? I mean, especially when we're here, a lot will change for us," I said and broke the silence.

Kurt nodded. "I know. But I'm willing to try this life."

"I'm afraid this is the only life I have to offer at the moment," I said and couldn't help but get even sadder about it when I said it out loud.

He took my hand and squeezed it. "I know you don't want to be here, but I promise to help you through every hard moment. We're in this together, okay?"

I nodded and smiled. "Thank you."

He smiled back. "You said that this is the only life you can offer me, but this is actually the life I want."

I raised an eyebrow. Did Kurt want a life as a royal?

"I would take any offer that gave me the opportunity to be with you," he said and looked me deep in the eyes.

Kurt had talked about a sparkle I had in my eyes when I looked at him. I saw that sparkle in his eyes as well. In this moment, I finally understood – it was a sign of true love.

* * *

 **The next chapter will be a lot about Blaine's struggle of feeling stuck in the palace. Kurt will get to meet Blaine's family over a dinner, and he will also get into a difficult situation… Stay tuned!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Here comes a longer chapter! I hope you'll like it!**

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I should be happy. I really should. Kurt was in London and he had finally forgiven me. Then, why did I still feel so sad? Why was it hard to go to sleep and even harder to wake up? I couldn't understand myself. As soon as I got some spare time, I went to my room, closed the door and cried. I felt so ungrateful for doing it. I practically had everything you could dream of. I lived in a palace. The love of my life was just around the corner. I had people in my family who truly loved me. As well, there were many people in England who looked up at me. I really had it all. Why couldn't I see that?

I was in my room right now. Kurt would come shortly to eat dinner with my family. With all of my strength, I tried not to cry. It worked to begin with, but when the first tear fell, there was nothing that could stop the rest from following. It was funny how tears often were like that. You could keep them inside of you for a while, but when your inner wall couldn't take the pressure anymore, the first tear had to fall. More tears would need to follow to give place for your body to build a new wall. It was how it worked, and also the main reason why I was so tired. My wall continued to break, and my body continued to build.

Kurt didn't stay here after we'd talked. My dad wouldn't let him – of course. Kurt checked in at a hotel not too far away from the palace. I really hoped my dad would offer him a room here after the dinner. We had a lot of guestrooms, and it felt wrong to not let Kurt stay in one of them. Even my own bed was big enough for both of us. Unfortunately, I knew the idea of us sharing a bed wasn't a line my dad would ever be able to cross.

My family knew I was gay. It had been pretty obvious my whole childhood. I had always looked at guys instead of girls. It was nothing I was ashamed of, but it was hard to keep your head high when your own dad yelled at you for being who you were. He told me that this would be a secret for the rest of my life. No one could ever know about this. At the end of our talk, I remembered how he looked me deep in the eyes and said that I was a shame to this family. Then, I cried. I was only eleven years old.

Suddenly, the door flew open. Cooper entered and smiled. "Kurt is here," he said.

I nodded. "Great. I'll be there in a minute," I said and avoided his glance.

"Hey," he said and laid a hand on my shoulder. "Are you crying?"

I shook my head, but then more tears came which made it impossible to hide. "I'm just… cleaning my eyes?" I said in a try to light up the mood.

"Very funny," he said and closed the door behind him. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," I said honestly. "Everything kind of feels like a mess."

"Yeah. I was so angry at dad for not letting Kurt stay here."

I nodded. "Me too."

We were both quiet for a while. I was just about to tell him that we should go when he spoke up again.

"It's a shame that you're always gelling your hair," he said with a half smile.

I raised an eyebrow, unsure if I wanted to know more. "Why?"

"If you would let these curls go all wild, Kurt could climb up to your window with help of them. It would be just like in the movie Tangled. _Very_ romantic, if you ask me."

I couldn't help but laugh at this silly comment. "You're ridiculous."

"Tell me something I don't already know," he said and smiled. "Let's go, little brother. Everybody is waiting."

I nodded and couldn't stop smiling when we walked through the corridors. I was so grateful for Cooper.

When we arrived, I quickly sat down next to Kurt. I knew we were late.

"Nice of you to join us," my dad said and gave me and Cooper a strict glance.

I ignored him and smiled at Kurt as a greeting. However, he looked more concerned than happy to see me.

"Are you okay?" he mimed.

I nodded slowly and realised that my eyes most look a bit red after the crying.

"What have we missed?" Cooper asked in a try to make a conversation.

My mom smiled. "Not much. Kurt told us that this is his first time in England."

Kurt nodded. "And I really like it. Everyone I've met have been so nice."

"I hope that includes us as well," my mom joked and blinked at Kurt.

Kurt smiled politely. "Of course, Ma'am."

The maids started to serve us the food. Honestly, I didn't feel hungry. It was hard to eat when there were so much to worry about. I could feel that my dad would say something very soon. Something that would make this dinner take a different turn.

"You should come to my birthday celebration, Kurt. It's this Saturday at the palace. We will celebrate Blaine as well. We're so happy to have him back here," Cooper said.

"I would love to. Thank you," Kurt said and smiled.

My dad cleaned his throat. _Here we go._ "If you decide to come, there is something you have to agree on."

 _Oh no._ I stopped to eat completely, ready to step in if I needed to.

"Absolutely, Sir. Whatever it is," Kurt said, but I could see in his eyes that he wasn't as confident as he tried to sound.

"The press don't know about Blaine being gay, and we would like to keep it that way," my dad said.

"Oh," Kurt said. He couldn't hide the surprise in his voice.

"I'm aware that you two have this... _thing_ going on, so if you could stay away from Blaine as much as possible during the celebration, it would be great," my dad said.

"Dad," I said with a warning tone. "You can't ask Kurt to do that."

He smiled. It wasn't a nice smile. "Of course I can. Would you rather have a talk in my office?"

What he actually asked was: _would you rather take slaps than let me get what I want?_ Normally, I would say no, but Kurt was involved in this. It was different. I didn't want him to go to the other side of the room as soon as I moved on Saturday. I wanted him close to me.

"Well, I-" I started.

"With all due respect, Sir, I don't think being gay is wrong. I think we all should be proud of who we are," Kurt interrupted.

My dad stared at Kurt. "I see. Then you can be proud of who you are somewhere else."

"That's enough, Steven," my mom spoke up.

My dad looked at her in surprise. She rarely said something against him. "Very well. You can do as you want on Saturday, but I will be watching every step you take," he said and got up from the chair. "This dinner is over."

I sighed while I watched him go. Why couldn't he just accept that everyone wasn't like him? People weren't robots he could reprogram when he felt like it.

I turned to Kurt. "I'm so sorry."

He shook his head. "It's not your fault."

A maid came up to me. "Would you like me to save your dinner for later, Your Highness?"

I smiled at her. This had happened every day lately. It was always easier for me to eat alone. I couldn't relax when my dad was around. "Yes, I would like that."

"Or it might be even better to take the food to Blaine's room?" Cooper suggested. "Bring Kurt's food as well."

I looked at my mom who nodded in agreement.

I smiled. "Yes, that sounds great."

The maid nodded and took our plates.

"It was nice to meet you, Sir and Ma'am," Kurt said to my brother and mom.

"You can call me Cooper," Cooper said and smiled.

My mom nodded. "And I'm Pam, not Ma'am. It was lovely to meet you, Kurt."

Kurt smiled and nodded. We left and went to my room where the food was easy to find at a table in front of my black couch. The couch stood to the right of my bed.

"So… Now you have finally met my family," I said after we had sat down and started to eat once again.

"Yes. Your mom and brother are very nice," Kurt said. "And your dad is… interesting."

I laughed a little. "You don't have to bother. I know he's awful."

He was quiet for a few seconds. "Why were you crying earlier?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Was it that obvious?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, at least for me," he said and looked me in the eyes. "It was times when you tried to hide that you'd been crying in America as well, remember?"

I nodded. It was many times.

"You always had the same look on your face. So when you had that look, I just hugged you and after a while, you started to cry and tell me what was going on," he continued. "But now I know that the most of what you told me back then – were lies."

It was true. I often cried because of a bad phone call with my dad or because I knew I couldn't stay in America forever. Unfortunately, these were things I couldn't be completely honest about.

I was just about to give him a speech of how truly sorry I was, but before I got the chance, he raised a hand to stop me.

"I have forgiven you," he reminded me. "You did what you had to do. I think... you have to forgive yourself as well. You have told me you're sorry a million times. Is it to convince me or yourself?"

He was right. As usual. I couldn't let go of everything I've done. I hadn't forgiven myself. It was partly why I felt so sad being here even if Kurt was around. I still felt bad because of the lies, for what I did to my family and boyfriend. And the worst of all? I didn't want to be here. I wanted to get back to America with Kurt. I wanted to leave my family _again_. I wanted to leave the English people who looked up to me. I was a horrible person.

Kurt put our almost empty plates on the table and pulled me into a hug.

I started to cry, and then I told him what was wrong. Just like I always did. But this time – I was honest.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! In the next chapter, it's time for Cooper's birthday celebration. Stay tuned!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I think I own you an explanation why it took me so long to write this chapter. Well, I'm going to be really honest and say that I got stuck in another fanfic. It was _so_ good, so I couldn't let go of it! As soon as I got some spare time, I read it, which made the time for my own story very limited. I'm sorry! But here's a new chapter :)**

* * *

It was the night before my brother's birthday. Kurt was in my room and showed me different clothes to wear for tomorrow. He seemed quite nervous every time I was about to open my mouth and say an option. For that, I couldn't blame him. To be around royals was all new to him. He had always been good at putting together outfits, but this was a situation he wasn't prepared for.

"Can I wear this?" Kurt asked and showed me a beautiful suit.

I nodded and smiled. "You will look stunning in it."

"So, you don't think I look stunning without wearing it?" he teased and pretended to get offended.

I laughed a little. Even if I didn't feel like smiling, he had the power to make me laugh.

"You know I always find you stunning," I said and kissed him on the lips. I knew it sounded like a cheesy line from a movie, but after all, it was the truth. I had promised myself to never lie to him again – and that was a promise I would keep.

He kissed me back and then pushed me away gently. "You're wrinkling the suit!"

I smiled. "Sorry."

He rolled his eyes and smiled slightly while he tried to fix the already perfect suit. "This is important, Blaine. It's _fashion_ we're talking about."

"Yes, and I'm talking about how stunning you are. Isn't that an important subject as well?"

He pretended to think about it. "You do have a point," he said and laid the suit on my bed. "Fine, go on."

I really wanted to go on about how amazing Kurt was, but suddenly, I couldn't. When I started to think of everything that were against us, it became harder to see us with a future. One day, I might have to say goodbye to him. Otherwise, my dad would make both of our lives a living hell. For Kurt, I would take it. But I wouldn't let him take it for me.

Kurt seemed to notice how my mood changed. "Are you okay?"

I sighed. "Yeah. I'm sorry."

He looked at me with concerned eyes. "What's wrong?"

I pressed my lips together, not sure what to say. I didn't want this moment to end in tears. It had been so hard for me to not cry lately. To end up doing that again, wasn't something I would allow myself to do.

"We can talk about it another time," I said and forced a smile. "Let's go back to your suit. I think it's perfect."

"Blaine," he said firmly and looked me right in the eyes. "Just tell me what's wrong."

I took a deep breath. "It feels like… like we're pretending," I said slowly.

"Okay, and why is that?" he asked softly.

"I think you know why. This won't work forever."

He was quiet for a while. "It might not be easy, but we'll make it. I know we will."

"I just feel like our destinies are already decided. I can't escape from who I am. I tried, but it didn't work," I said and let a few seconds past before I continued. "Maybe, we're just not meant for each other."

It hurt to say these words.

He took my hand and led me to the couch. "Let's sit down for a while."

I did as he told me.

How could thoughts have such a power over you? They made me feel so lost. So alone. Every night, I dreamed that I would be in a prison for a lifetime. I never woke up before I've been there for at least many years. It was weird how you even could be trapped in a dream. Maybe you didn't know it then, but later, you would blame yourself for not waking up earlier.

I felt bad for being like this when Kurt was here. I wanted to be the old me, the Warbler he fell in love with. But I couldn't be him here. That was the problem.

"I meant what I said a few days ago. We _are_ in this together. If I so have to charm your dad for years – I will," Kurt said and smiled a little. "He will adore me when I'm done with him."

"I don't doubt that," I said and couldn't help but smile as well. "But what about going back to America?"

"That's the hard part," he sighed. "I think we need some time to figure it out."

I nodded. "But how can you be so sure that we will though?"

"I'm not," he said honestly. "But if we don't think about it like it's going to happen, then it won't."

"When did you get so smart?"

He rolled his eyes. "I've always been a genius."

"Of course," I said and laughed.

He looked at the clock on my bedside table. "I should get back to the hotel. It's pretty late."

I nodded slowly, a little disappointed that he had to go.

"Will you be okay?" he asked and squeezed my hand.

"Yes," I promised.

He nodded. "Call me otherwise. See you tomorrow," he said and kissed me softly before he left.

The next day I got dressed in a suit with a matching bowtie. I also gelled my hair before I found the rest of my family in the ballroom.

"Blaine, what do you think?" Cooper asked as soon as he saw me.

Everything looked amazing, but very formal. On a table, there were glasses filled with champagne or cider for the guests to mingle with. An orchestra practiced classic music in one of the corners of the room. The floor was also very open, so it would be easy to dance if someone wanted to.

"It looks great," I said and went to my brother, so I could give him a hug. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks," he said and grinned. "I think this is going to be an amazing day. I just feel it."

I smiled at his enthusiasm.

"Oh, you two look so handsome!" my mom exclaimed and looked at us from the other side of the room. "Steven, can't we take a picture of them before everyone is coming?"

"Of course, darling," he answered. He walked to us and lowered his voice. "Let's remember the moment before you screw everything up."

He took the picture with his phone and then left us alone.

"He seems to be in a good mood today," Cooper joked.

I laughed. It was funny how true it actually was. To call my mom _darling_ was not often, and either was leaving us alone so quickly. My smile faded when I realised the obvious; could he be up to something?

"Can Kurt come earlier than the others?" I asked Cooper.

"I wish, but everyone would wonder how he knew us so well. It would look a bit strange to have him with us when we welcomed the rest."

"Yeah, I guess so," I agreed while I looked at all the maids who worked to get everything done in time.

"Sorry, little brother," he said and left me alone when someone called for him.

I sighed. This was going to be a long day. I wasn't up for it at all.

"Your Highness?" a maid asked and looked nervous.

"Yes?" I said and smiled at her. She was very young and seemed unsure how to talk to me.

"Do you need any help with anything? I was supposed to help you get dressed for today, but you seem to have done that yourself. I mean, you look really good. I didn't mean that you can't dress yourself, I just-" She stopped herself and blushed hard. "Sorry, Sir."

I continued to smile at her. "Don't apologize. Just take a deep breath. You're doing fine," I encouraged. "What's your name?"

"Mandy," she said shyly.

"Then, Mandy, I think you should go and see if you can help someone of the maids in here," I said.

She nodded. "Thank you, Sir."

"For what?" I couldn't help but ask.

"For not firing me. I spoke to you in a very inappropriate way. I'm having a really bad day and-" She stopped herself again like she had said too much.

"Everyone can have a bad day," I said and smiled.

She smiled back, nodded and went to the other maids.

The guests started to drop in a couple of hours later. I shook hands, smiled at everyone and mingled.

Time passed, and Kurt didn't show up. I searched for him all day, but without any luck. Where could he be? Had he decided to not come?

"It's almost time for your speech," Cooper suddenly whispered in my ear.

The speech. _Oh no_. I had completely forgotten about it. What should I say? I had literally no ideas at all. I hadn't come up with anything good the night Kurt surprised me. _Great_. I was soon about to hold a speech for at least a hundred of guests and didn't have a clue what to say. I was also pretty sure TV would be here to film my failure. Could it get any worse?

I tried to think positive. It would only be a short speech. I had been trained for situations like this one my whole life. _You got this, Blaine_. What I needed to say was not much. I needed to wish Cooper a happy birthday, thank everyone for coming, say that I was glad to be home and talk about how great the day had been so far. It was not that hard.

As I had assumed, the TV-team entered shortly thereafter.

"It's time," Cooper said and laid a comforting hand on my shoulder. "You will do amazing."

I nodded and went to the corner where the orchestra was playing. I gestured for them to stop. Many of the guests looked in my direction when the music faded away. I smiled and clinked in my glass with a spoon. When I had gotten everyone's attention, I put the spoon down.

"Good afternoon," I greeted and tried to sound like I knew what I was doing. "I would like to thank everyone for coming and say a special happy birthday to my brother." I looked at him and he smiled. "I feel so honored to share this day with him. Also, it has been a pleasure to talk to many of you here today. How welcoming you still are after all this time, it's truly amazing. I'm happy to be home and looking forward to the rest of this day. Thank you," I finished and raised my glass with a smile.

I got an applause, and I nodded as a thank you. The orchestra started to play again while I made my way to Cooper.

"That was really-"

"Have you seen Kurt?" I interrupted and looked around the room.

"No… Hasn't he came yet?" he asked in surprise.

I shook my head. "I need to call him."

He nodded and clearly understood how concern I was over this. "Just make it quick. If someone asks for you, I make something up."

"Thanks," I said gratefully and went out of the room as fast as I could without making it look weird.

I walked to my room to get some privacy to call Kurt.

"Hey," he said when he finally picked up.

"Why aren't you here? Have something happened? Are you okay?" I asked worriedly.

"Well…" he started and seemed to choose his words very carefully. "Your dad kind of… threatened me."

"He did what?" I said in shock. _This couldn't be happening_. "How did he threaten you?"

"I think he has looked up my number or something, because he called me this morning. He said that if I came today, you would be the one who had to pay for it."

He threatened Kurt with giving me slaps. This was unbelievable. "I can't believe he did that."

"Me neither," he sighed.

"Why didn't you call or text me about it?" I asked.

"Your dad said that I wasn't allowed to disturb you during the day either. So, I didn't dare to."

"I'm so sorry."

"Stop apologize for your dad. He's the one who should say sorry."

"I guess. But he never will. So, I think someone should," I said honestly.

"You're too good for your own good, Blaine," he said and sighed. "You can't live like this. You can let your dad have so much power over your life."

"I know... I just don't know how to change it."

"We'll figure it out," he said softly.

It was quiet for a while. I listened to the sound of his breaths.

"I will come over," I said and broke the silence.

"What? You can't do that," Kurt said, clearly surprised.

"Why not? I've done everything I needed to do here," I said. "I just tell Cooper and then sneak out."

"It's _insane_ , Blaine. If someone finds out, it won't be any good headlines tomorrow."

The following words surprised me just as much as they surprised Kurt. "I don't care."

* * *

 **What do you think will happen next? Is Blaine going to sneak out or listen to Kurt? Find out in Chapter 10!**


	10. Chapter 10

**This chapter is a little shorter than the last one. I'll explain why at the end. Let's get to the story!**

* * *

I decided to sneak out. I knew it was a risk, but what choice did I have? My dad had gone too far this time. He had _threatened_ Kurt. It was unacceptable to say at least. For once, I needed to stand up for myself and do what I thought was right. Otherwise, nothing would change. I would be stuck in this prison forever.

It was scary to break rules. I had always thought that. You never knew what the consequences would be, or if it would be any at all. In my case, I was pretty sure I would have to pay a high price for my actions. But it felt worth it. At least, I hoped it would be.

I gestured for Cooper to come when he looked in my direction. He glanced at me and mimed: _soon_. I nodded and went out of the ballroom. Many of the guests had started to dance in the centre of the room. My brother talked to a couple of his friends in a corner. They probably tried to get some privacy for a few minutes. Considering how much attention Cooper had received today, it was very understandable. I was glad he found a moment to talk to the people he truly cared about.

After around five minutes, Cooper made his way to me. He looked tired, but still had a smile on his lips.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"I need your help," I started, unsure what he was going to think about my next words.

"Okay, with what?"

"I… I want to sneak out," I said slowly.

Cooper raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Dad threatened Kurt, so he wouldn't come today."

First, he looked surprised, but then just angry. "He did _what_? That's so unfair!" he exclaimed and looked away. I had a feeling he was thinking much worse words in his head.

"Yeah," I agreed. "I'm not going to take this anymore. I want to be with Kurt, and if he can't accept that – then, I'm not going to be around for his service."

Cooper nodded proudly. "That's my little brother."

"So, you don't think this is a bad idea?" I couldn't help but ask. "What if I make everything worse?"

He shook his head. "You won't. Things might change, but don't see any of the changes as bad. See them as progress."

I nodded and smiled. "Thank you. I have a feeling you and Kurt will be great friends."

"Oh, really? Is he a genius like me?" he joked.

I thought back on the talk I had had with Kurt yesterday. He had said; _if we don't think about it like it's going to happen, then it won't_. He always knew what to say and how to act. He was a genius. He really was.

"Blaine? Are you there?"

I looked at Cooper. "Sorry, what?"

He laughed. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"I just… I mean… I love Kurt," I finished simply.

"I know you do," he said and grinned at me. "Well, let's get you to him, Prince Charming."

"Very funny," I said and smiled. "How can I sneak out of here?"

He was quiet for a few seconds. "First, you need to pack your things and change your clothes. You look awfully like Prince Blaine Devon Anderson right now."

I nodded and laughed. "Yes, I kind of do. I'll go and change. Then, what?"

"During all this, I'll go back to the ballroom and distract everyone with a speech. It would be very inappropriate to go somewhere else when the Crown Prince is speaking. Our parents won't have a chance to see you leave."

I nodded. "That sounds like a plan."

I was really surprised when he pulled me into a hug. "See you soon, right?"

Suddenly, I understood. I had been gone for three years the last time I sneaked out. Of course, he was afraid something similar would happen again. "I promise, Coop," I said and hugged him back.

He nodded and let go of me. "Go to your room and text me from Kurt's phone when you're at the hotel."

"I will," I said and smiled at him one last time before I left.

It was very smart of Cooper to think of my phone and how our parents easily could track it. I would have to live without it for a while.

As soon as I arrived at my room, I changed into the same outfit I had used when I went to America. In the mirror, it was even hard for me to recognize the person I'd become. I wore dark sunglasses, boyfriend jeans, a simple white t-shirt and matching white sneakers. This was not me at all. I already missed my colorful tight pants and the bow ties. _Oh god, I missed my bow ties..._

Of course, I wasn't always allowed to wear whatever I wanted as a prince. But when I got those special moments, I couldn't be happier.

Now, I only had one thing left to do when it came to my look – remove the hair gel. It felt really hard. I loved to use it, and it was a big part of me. But I knew I didn't have a choice.

I went to my private bathroom and removed all of it, dried my hair and went back to my room as a whole new person. I wondered how Kurt would take this look. I could imagine a possible look on his face, which almost made me laugh.

Lastly, I packed a bag with some clothes, my toothbrush and _a lot_ of hair gel. After all, I didn't know how long I would be gone or what I would be doing. Right now, I had three different characters I might have to shift between; _Prince Blaine_ , _Normal Blaine_ and… _the Other Guy_. It was good to be prepared for all of them. Just in case.

Finally, I was ready and left the room. The corridors were pretty empty. The most of the guards were in the ballroom, and so were the maids. This made it easier for me in many ways. For my safety, no one would let me go outside alone. So, it felt a little weird when I did exactly that.

Before I knew it, I was standing on a street where people passed by me constantly. Not a single person seemed to recognize me. It felt great, but also unusual. As soon as someone looked in my direction, I hold my breath, scared that the person would identify me. But no one ever did.

Me and _the Other Guy_ were ready for London.

* * *

 **And I'm also ready for London! I'm actually going there this Wednesday (tomorrow in writing time). I couldn't be more excited! I've been there before, and I can honestly say it's one of my favorite places in the world :)**

 **Because of the trip, I won't be able to update this story for a while. But don't worry, I will as soon as I get home!**

 **I wrote this chapter very fast, so you wouldn't have to wait too long for a new one. That's also why the chapter is a little shorter, but I hope you still enjoyed it!**

 **Review if you like! It always makes my day :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you for your patience! Here comes chapter 11!**

* * *

"Are you out of your mind?" Kurt exclaimed and stared at me. "I didn't think you would _actually_ do this."

I closed the door to the hotel room and took a few steps closer to my boyfriend. "He threatened you, Kurt. I needed to do something."

He sighed and looked away. "What will happen if someone recognizes you? Of course I will protect you, but I'm not a bodyguard."

"I'm not expecting you to be one. We're just going to be us. If people identifies me, I'll deal with it in some way. We'll be fine," I said and tried to sound confident, but on the inside I couldn't have been more scared.

I had a lump in my throat that wouldn't go away. It was just as stuck as I felt in my life. I thought I would be relieved when I left the palace, but it was practically the last thing I was. Why was Prince Charming's life an endless dream, and mine wasn't? Are some stories called fairytales because they can't become reality? I felt stupid for thinking that question. The answer was obviously _yes_.

"I know we'll be fine, but what about you?" Kurt asked and took my hand. "You look like you're about to cry."

I always looked like I was about to cry these days. Unfortunately, it had become a well-used accessory to my look.

"I think I just need time," I said and avoided his glance. "I'll be okay."

He nodded slowly. "You can't blame me for being worried," he said and was quiet until I met his eyes. "You haven't been yourself lately."

I knew that. Back in Westerville I was another version of myself. A happier person.

"What can I do to cheer you up?" Kurt continued when I didn't answer. "Do you want to talk? Do you need a hug? Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it."

I smiled a little. "Thank you."

He smiled back.

"Can we do something normal? Like see a movie or take a walk in the park?" I asked and already felt a little better by thinking of it.

"Sure," he said. "Just put on the sunglasses."

"Right," I said and quickly took them from the table where I'd left them. "I'm ready!"

He laughed at my enthusiasm. "Let's go then."

We ended up in the park. It was a perfect day for a walk. The sun was shining and children laughed and played around us.

"Hyde Park is beautiful," Kurt said.

I smiled. "Yes, it really is," I agreed and looked at the surrounding flowers.

We were in _The Rose Garden_. I loved everything about it. It was a great place to get my thoughts together.

After a short while, we approached a fountain.

Kurt took my hand. "Come on!"

"What-"

He gave me a coin and took me closer to the fountain. "Make a wish."

I laughed and shook my head. "It's silly, Kurt."

"It's not," he said and looked at me. "But don't tell me the wish. Otherwise, it won't come true."

"Says who?"

"Says… _The Law of Fountain Wishes_ ," he said with a serious expression.

I laughed. "You just made that up."

He laid a hand on his hip. "You can't prove that."

I smiled and shook my head. "Fine, I'll make a wish."

Kurt took a step back. It was like he wanted to give me some space for this moment. It made me smile even wider.

There was so much I could wish for... I could wish my dad would be more understanding, wish Cooper a successful time as a king or wish I would find a way back to America.

I squeezed the coin and dropped it in the water. _A happy life with Kurt_. I wished that more than anything.

"Are you done?" Kurt asked from behind.

I turned around and nodded.

"Would you like to go for some coffee?" he asked softly.

I smiled. "I would love to."

We made our way out of the park and walked until we found a _Pret a Manger_. It was a popular café in England. I loved it – the coffee there was so good.

We took a seat at a table. I sipped the coffee while I looked at the surrounding people. It was pretty crowded in here.

"This reminds me of our first dates," Kurt said.

"Yeah, but nothing can really compare to the Lima Bean."

"True," he agreed. "But maybe, this could be a new special place for us?"

I was just about to answer when I saw a familiar face. It was Mandy, the young maid from the palace. She walked against us.

"Is it okay if I sit here? I can't find a free chair anywhere else," she said and smiled.

She didn't recognize me.

"Sure," Kurt said and moved his chair closer to mine to get her more space.

Mandy gratefully sat down. "Thank you. I'm late for work and in a bit of a hurry. Actually, I've already been at work today, but wasn't needed again until later. I decided to drop in here on the way back."

I couldn't help but smile. She really liked to talk.

Kurt nodded politely. "Where are you working?"

She took a bite of her sandwich. "It might sound really fancy, but… at Buckingham Palace. As a maid for the royal family."

Kurt eyes went wide. "Oh."

Suddenly, Mandy looked at me. "Are you the type of guy who wears sunglasses indoors to look cool? I mean, you kind of look cool, but isn't it annoying to see the world darker than it has to be?"

I looked at her, a bit surprised. She had a point. Lately, I had seen the world like through sunglasses. For some reason, I seemed to choose to pay attention to every bad thing. All I saw was darkness, but if I started to focus on the lights in my life, I might see it all in a different way? Maybe I would even be okay with being a prince?

"I haven't thought of it like that. Thanks, Mandy," I said without thinking.

She stared at me in shook. "How did you know my-" she started, but then went quiet and continued to stare. " _Wait_. It's you, isn't it? Oh my god… Your High-"

"Please, don't say it," I interrupted quickly.

"Oh, of course not," she said and seemed to understand. "I can't believe I _literally_ told you I'm late for work. You know what? I just skip the sandwich and run to the palace. I'm so sorry for bothering you here. I'll go right away!"

"Mandy, wait," I said before she had a chance to stand up. "You can't tell anyone you've seen me here."

"Why not?" she asked, but then her eyes went wide. "Oh, no one knows you-"

I nodded. "And I would really appreciate if it stayed that way."

She stood up. "You can count on me," she said and did a small salute, but then blushed when she realised what she had done.

I smiled.

"Have a good day!" she finished and left us alone.

Kurt looked at me. "She seems… nice?"

I nodded. "She is. I can't believe this happened though… I need to be more careful," I said and sighed.

"You didn't say her name on purpose. Don't blame yourself."

"It's hard not to."

"I know," he said and squeezed my hand under the table.

We went back to the hotel and changed to a room with a bigger bed. I laid down while Kurt packed up some of his things in the bathroom.

I closed my eyes, but opened them as soon as I realized what I had forgotten; _I hadn't texted Cooper yet_.

"Kurt?" I said.

"What is it?" he answered and looked at me from the bathroom.

"Can I borrow your phone? I need to text Cooper."

"Sure! You know my code, right?" he asked.

I nodded and took his phone from the bedside table. _4619_. He hadn't changed the code since we met.

Me: _I'm okay. I forgot to text you. I'm really sorry!_

It didn't take long before I got a replay.

Cooper: _It's fine. Glad to hear you're okay, B!_

I smiled and laid the phone on the bedside table again.

A bit later, me and Kurt went to bed. We were both tired after the day. It didn't take me many minutes before I fell asleep. For the first night in a long time, I slept really good. No bad dreams and no tears. It was an amazing feeling.

"Blaine?" Kurt said softly, which made me wake up.

I yawned. "Yeah?"

"I'm going to buy some breakfast. What do you want?"

"I'll go with you," I said and sat up.

"Are you sure? You can sleep some more if you want to."

"No, I'm up," I said and started to get dressed.

He smiled. "If you say so."

We had just made it outside when Kurt's phone started to vibrate over and over again. He took it out of his pocket and scrolled through the messengers.

"Is something wrong?" I asked worriedly.

"Oh god," he said after a while. "A picture of us is all over the internet."

"What?" I said in surprise. "Can I see it?"

He showed me the picture. I gasped as soon as I saw it. It pictured me and Kurt at _Pret a Manger_ , holding hands under the table. The headline said: _What is the prince hiding?_

"That's not the worst one," Kurt said and showed me a different text.

The same picture was still all over the screen, but it had another headline. It said: _The truth about the prince is out_. I started to read the rest of the text immediately.

 _Yesterday, the Crown Prince had his birthday celebration at Buckingham Palace. His younger brother, Prince Blaine, did also get some attention during this day. It was supposed to mirror a special welcome back to the long lost family member. Prince Blaine has repeated time after time how honored and grateful he felt over this. But is that really the truth?_

 _The day started off very well. Both of the princes mingled with the guests and were beyond nice to everyone. Prince Blaine even held a speech, telling everybody how honored he felt to be a part of the day._

 _After the speech the prince was quick to leave the room, but came back after a while. However, his attendance didn't stay for long. Shortly thereafter, he made his brother leave the ballroom, so they could talk outside privately. Prince Blaine didn't return after that. Instead, his older brother held a long speech about the day and thanked a few people in particular for coming. It was almost like he tried to make the prince's suddenly disappearance less obvious. For many of the guests, it seemed to work._

 _Later the same day, Prince Blaine was found with a guy at a_ Pret a Manger _. They were holding hands and talking. The prince wore dark sunglasses and very informal clothes. It was hard to recognize him if you didn't look carefully._

 _The young prince was doing this while the rest of the royal family took care of more than a hundred of guests at the palace. His brother had kindly chosen to share his birthday with him, so why couldn't he be there? Is he going to disappear for another three years? At this point, no one would be surprised. Prince Blaine acts selfishly. Perhaps, it would be a delight to have him gone? His actions doesn't make him worthy to represent this country._

I stared at the last words with tears in my eyes. I had messed everything up. _Again_.

I looked after the name who had written the text and couldn't have been more choked when I found it.

* * *

 **I'm home from London and actually wrote this chapter yesterday, but didn't have time to post it. I hope you enjoyed it! I'll write a new one really soon :)**

 **Who do you think wrote the text about Blaine? I know… But I won't tell you yet!**


	12. Chapter 12

**I'm sorry for the wait! I've been pretty busy lately. Here comes chapter 12! :)**

* * *

Me and Kurt were back at the hotel. None of us wanted breakfast anymore.

I ended up at the bed, staring at the wall in front of me. I could feel how Kurt looked at me from the other side of the room. Either of us said a word in a long time. Honestly, it was hard to know what to say.

Eventually, Kurt let out a sigh and sat down next to me. "I know it's a stupid question, but… How are you?"

"I could have been better," I said honestly.

The last hour had been everything but easy. Every part of me felt broken. I even started to get depressed from time to time. Why was life so hard for some people and so easy for others? It felt unfair. Really unfair.

Once again, my prince title had stopped me from doing what I truly wanted. I couldn't leave the hotel after what happened. The picture of me and Kurt was everywhere. It wasn't safe for any of us to walk around in the city anymore. I felt bad over this. Especially for Kurt.

When it comes to the text I recently read, it was hard not to cry while thinking of it. I didn't want to say it out loud, but I knew some parts of the written words were true. Mandy had gotten a lot of things right; I left my family when they needed me, and I ran from what I was supposed to do. That didn't make me worthy to represent England.

 _Mandy Harris_. She was an actress, searching for a good story. I believed her. I believed her clumsy ways of trying to be a maid. But all her personality ever pictured – was an act.

I barely knew Mandy, yet I was going to miss her. A lot. But honestly, it wasn't _her_ I was sad to lose. It was the way she made me feel. She made me feel normal in a royal world of perfection. She had her flaws and wasn't scared to show them. When she was around, I was – for only a few seconds – out of the palace. I could almost hear the cars in the driveway, and people's laughs from a restaurant. I was free. I was far away from the palace, finding my own place in the world. I would forever miss that feeling – the feeling of being myself.

Suddenly, Kurt's phone started to ring. I forced myself to get out of the jungle of thoughts.

"It's Cooper," Kurt said.

I nodded and took the phone.

"Hey," I said and tried to sound more happy than I felt.

"I guess you have seen the picture?" Cooper asked carefully.

"Yes, it's pretty hard to miss."

He went quiet for a while. "Where are you now?"

"At the hotel with Kurt," I replied.

He sighed in relief. "That's good. I'll send some guards to get you both."

My eyes went wide. "Please don't do that."

"Why not?" he asked, clearly confused. "It's only a matter of time before someone will recognize you. It's not safe for you out there."

I sighed. "I know. Just give us a little more time. Then you can send the guards."

Now it was his time to sigh. "Fine, but you should know dad is furious. He has read many negative texts about you."

 _Wonderful_. "I promise we'll be back soon."

"You don't make it easy for me," he said with a small laugh.

I smiled. "I'm your brother, that's my job."

"If you say so," he chuckled. "I should go."

"Thank you. For everything."

"Don't mention it," he said and ended the phone call.

Kurt gazed at me. His eyes were filled with concern, but he still managed a small smile. "Do we have a plan?" he asked. "Or do we have to come up with one?"

"Well, as you heard, we have to go back to the palace pretty soon," I said slowly, trying to process everything. "What should we do before?"

"I honestly don't know," he said and crossed his legs. "But maybe it's a good thing to go back to the palace? I mean, then we can get in touch with the people who aren't on our side. If we're lucky, we might even find a way to change their opinions?"

I nodded. "But do you think Mandy is still there? She must have been fired or decided to not come back."

"We can't be sure until we checked," he said and gave me an encouraging smile.

I smiled back. I really appreciated how positive he tried to be. I needed that more than anything right now.

"You're right," I said. "We should start packing then."

He nodded and looked around the room. "I guess so. But there's really not much to pack."

"That's true," I agreed and looked around the room as well. Most of our clothes and belongings were still in our bags.

"Do you think I should bring my bag, though? I will probably not stay for the night anyway."

"Bring it in case. You never know," I said.

He nodded.

After a few minutes of packing, we were done and sat down on the bed. I stared at my bag instead of the wall this time.

"I'm going to talk to my dad," I said and broke the silence. "I will tell him exactly how I feel about his behavior. As soon as I get home."

Kurt looked at me in surprise. "Are you sure that's a good idea? Maybe you should wait a little longer? You got a lot on your plate right now."

He had a point, but I couldn't ignore the frustration inside of me. I needed to do something. Something that matters.

"I'm tired of waiting, Kurt," I said and stood up. "I want to _change_ things. Wasn't it you who said we should get in touch with the people who aren't on our side?"

"Yes, I did. But I _didn't_ mean we should storm into the palace and yell at them. It won't solve anything," he said.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. "I didn't mean that either. It's just… I just… It's too much for me right now, Kurt. I'm a total mess. I don't know what to do anymore."

"Come here," he said and pulled me into a hug. "You can't fix everything at the same time."

"Then help me, what can I fix now?" I asked against his shoulder.

He hugged me a bit tighter and then let go. "Nothing, I'm afraid," he said and remained quiet for a few seconds. "All you got in this room is things you've already fixed."

I looked into his beautiful eyes.

He smiled and took my hand. "I love you."

I felt how a single tear made its way down my cheek. "I love you too."

Our lips found each other and for once, I stopped thinking. Everything just felt right. I was happy. Truly happy.

Eventually, we couldn't ignore the reality any longer. Cooper sent some guards, and we had no other choice but to follow them back to the palace.

It didn't take long before I saw my mom. She walked against us quickly. Her eyes were filled with concern.

"I can't believe you did this again. I have been so worried," she said and pulled me into a hug.

"I'm sorry, mom," I said and really meant it.

I felt terrible for letting my family down. I would never do something like this again.

She let go of me and laid a hand on Kurt's shoulder. "I'm glad you're back as well. I'm sorry your first visit in London didn't go as planned. Journalists aren't always easy to deal with."

Kurt smiled. "Thank you, Your Maj-"

My mom stared at him with a warming gaze.

"Thank you, Pam," Kurt corrected himself.

She smiled and nodded. "Me and Steven have talked, and we were wondering if you would like to stay here for a while?" she asked him. "At least until we have worked out the most with the press?"

I couldn't help but get surprised at this. Had my dad really agreed on letting Kurt stay?

"I would love to. Thank you," Kurt answered politely.

"You're here!" Cooper exclaimed and joined us. "I need to talk to you, Blaine."

I raised an eyebrow. "Sure?"

He took my arm, led me to my room and closed the door.

"Mandy is at dad's office right now," he said.

"Really?" I asked in shook. I didn't think she would _actually_ be here. "Is dad talking to her?"

He nodded. "She won't bother us again after this."

"That's probably true," I agreed.

Suddenly, Cooper began to look unsure and a bit tense. He pressed his lips together and looked at everything except me.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

He took a deep breath. "I need to tell you something," he started and nervously ran his fingers through the hair. "I sent Mandy after you."

* * *

 **Did you expect that?**

 **I'll update soon. I promise :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Are you ready for chapter 13? I hope so! Here we go!**

* * *

I stared at Cooper. I was completely speechless.

This couldn't be true, could it? He wouldn't send Mandy after me. That was ridiculous. My dad probably had something to do with it. That made much more sense. Maybe he found out about my disappearance and threatened Cooper to do something about it? But on the other hand… Why would my dad want a scandal when he cared so deeply about our family's reputation?

"Blaine," Cooper started and laid a hand on my shoulder.

I pulled away and shook my head. "You haven't been anything but nice to me since I got home. I trusted you, Cooper. I really did," I said.

I didn't want to cry, but my body wanted the opposite.

"Give me five minutes, and I'll explain everything," he said quickly.

I sighed. "Okay."

He took a deep breath, gathering himself. "When you were on your way to leave the palace yesterday, I couldn't help but feel like a bad big brother for letting you walk around in the city without a guard or something. I mean, you _are_ a prince of this country, and if someone would have recognized you in London alone, it could have led to consequences. So… Well… I decided to ask someone to keep an eye on you. But _only_ for the distance between the palace and the hotel. Not _any_ further than that. I just wanted to make sure you arrived to Kurt."

"But I was supposed to text you when I arrived, remember?"

"Yes, but did you?"

"No, but-"

"You are good at forgetting things, Blaine. Especially when you're with Kurt," he interrupted.

I blushed a little. In America, I hadn't been very good at remembering to call my family. Kurt had definitely been a reason why.

"So Mandy was the person you asked to follow me?" I asked, changing the subject.

He nodded. "Yeah."

"But why her of all people?"

"Well, she came up to me before my long speech and asked if everything was okay. She talked _a lot_ , but to sum up, she told me she had seen you walk in and out of the ballroom a couple of times. She also mentioned you'd been so nice to her the same morning, and if something was wrong, she wanted to help."

I finally begun to understand. I was somewhere in between being mad at Cooper and not. How could he have trusted a stranger that quickly? However, I also knew how good of an actress Mandy could be. From the very beginning, I'd trusted her as well.

"So you have no idea why she did all this?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No, not a clue. Maybe you can ask her when she's done talking to dad?"

I nodded and opened the door.

"Wait," he said.

I looked at him.

"Are we okay?" he asked.

"I think so," I replied and smiled slightly.

"You think so?" he said questionably, but smiled as well. "How should I take that?"

"As you want," I teased and left the room.

I found Kurt and my mom in one of the guest rooms not too far away from my own room. They laughed and talked about something. The sight made me happy.

"There you are!" my mom said and smiled at me. "We were starting to wonder what Cooper had done to you."

I laughed at the comment. "We had a lot to talk about."

"I see," she said sympathetically. "Your dad is trying to solve everything with Mandy at the moment."

I nodded. "Cooper told me," I said. "I hope it will turn out okay."

"It will," she promised and walked against the door. "I'll leave you two alone. I hope you'll enjoy the room, Kurt."

"Thank you," Kurt replied and smiled at her before she left.

I couldn't ignore my curiously. "What did you talk about?" I asked.

"Mostly about you, actually," Kurt said and sat down on a small couch that was placed in the room. I followed him.

"Really?" I said. "Should I be nervous?"

He smiled. "No, not at all. She only told me about your first bath."

My eyes went wide. "She did not."

"It was a really cute story. The water was everywhere and you-"

"Okay, I get it," I interrupted and blushed. _Thanks, mom_.

We were both quiet for a while. Lately, this kind of silence had became more and more familiar to us. There was too much to talk about, so no one knew what to say.

At least, we were in this together, I couldn't help but think. Even if I didn't want him to be a part of it, I was grateful to have him here. I honestly didn't know if I could have handled all these adversities on my own. Kurt was my rock.

"Are you doing okay?" I asked him.

He looked at me in surprise. "Of course, why?"

"I just… This is all new to you; the palace, my family, royals and well… people like Mandy. If you want to talk about anything, I'm here."

"I know, Blaine. You always are," he said and squeezed my hand. "But I promise I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You have been a little _too_ positive recently. Don't misunderstand me, I love that side of you. But it's not really you. At least not _all the time_. Is something bothering you that you're not telling me about?"

He sighed. "I'm just trying to be what you need me to be right now. You have _literally_ been staring at walls like they're the most interesting things you've ever seen. That's not healthy."

"You're changing the subject, Kurt. What's bothering you _except_ me staring at walls? I know it's something more."

"Fine," he finally gave in. "It's been really hard for me losing my job, and then suddenly be a part of this new world. I want to be there for you, I really do, but I don't know if I can live like this forever."

 _Of course_. I felt like the worst boyfriend in the world. I should have understood this earlier. I knew he was sad about his work. I was too. But I didn't think it bother him to this level.

"Then it's settled," I said.

"What is?"

"Vogue is popular in London as well. They might need a new employee?"

He stared at me like I was out of my mind. "That's crazy, Blaine. I can't just look for a job here. What about my friends and family back home?"

I nodded slowly. "You're right. It's a very big step."

"Yeah, a huge one," he agreed and made a pause. "But if it would make you happy, I could at least send my CV to a few places. I'm pretty sure nothing will happen, anyway."

It would be a big change for him to move. I could never ask him to do something like that if he wasn't completely up for the idea. His life in America was important to him. I understood that better than anyone.

"Any work would be lucky to have you, Kurt. However, I don't want you to feel any pressure to look for a job here. If you prefer to work in Ohio, New York or even Japan, I'm all in for it," I assured. "As long as you're happy."

He smiled. "Thank you," he said and gave me a quick kiss. "I think I know what to do."

There was a soft knock on the door.

"Yes?" I said.

A maid entered. "You're allowed to talk to miss Harris now, Your Highness."

Me and Kurt followed the maid to my dad's office. Mandy stared at me as soon as she saw me. It was not in a friendly way.

* * *

 **There's not many chapters left of this story. Just a couple more to go :)**

 **Thank you for reading! I'll update soon!**


	14. Chapter 14

**This is the penultimate chapter! I hope you like it :)**

* * *

I was scared to do this, to face the nightmares that kept me awake at night. My dad was in my thoughts all the time. I couldn't stop thinking of him. I desperately wanted to, but once he found his way into my head, he didn't leave. First slap. _You're a shame to this family, Blaine_. Second slap. Y _ou're nothing but garbage_. Third slap. _Life would have been so much easier if you wasn't born_.

I tried to please him, to be the son he wanted. I really did. But nothing was ever enough for him. At least not since he had realized the truth about me.

When I was around ten years old, he found out I was gay. At that age, I had started to comment on guys' looks. One day, I had told him how great I thought a boy looked in a tv-show. He had immediately changed the subject to the girls.

"Isn't she pretty?" he had said and pointed at a girl.

"Sure," I had replied. "But Mason looks amazing. Do you think I'll ever find someone like him?"

He had begun with the slaps the day after. As a young child, I hadn't understood why. However, it hadn't taken me many years until I did.

Now, Mandy and my dad both looked at me. I wasn't sure what to do. Should I say something or wait?

My dad cleaned his throat. "You got ten minutes with her," he said and stood up from his desk chair. "I'll be back soon."

I nodded and watched him leave the room.

I could feel how tense Kurt was behind me. All I wanted was to open the door and let him out of this situation. But he had insisted to stay, so I couldn't do anything else but let him.

Either of us dared to sit in my dad's chair, so we ended up standing awkwardly beside it. Mandy sat on the other side of the desk, looking at us intensively.

"We have a few questions for you," I said.

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "I know. It's _literally_ why you're here. I'm not stupid."

It felt so weird to hear Mandy speak like this. She didn't use my title, talked a lot less and didn't seem to care about the situation at all. Honestly, it didn't bother me too much, but I truly hoped she didn't use the same tone against my dad.

"Why did you do this to us?" I asked.

"Which part?" she said and looked bored.

"The parts when you pretended to be someone else and later wrote a very negative text about me," I said calmly, trying to not lose my temper.

She smiled slightly. "Oh, right. These are my favorite parts," she said. "Where should I begin?"

"Try from the beginning. We don't have all day," Kurt snapped.

She looked at him, a little surprised. "I like this side of you. You should show it more often," she said and was quiet for a few seconds. "Well… First of all, I'm an actress."

She didn't continue. I was just about to tell her to when Kurt snapped at her again. "We're not going to give you an applause. Please continue before it gets awkward for you."

She sighed. " _Fine_. The truth is… I'm not really an actress, anymore. I started as one, but I didn't get the parts I wanted, so I gave up. After a few months, I decided to begin with journalism instead. Unfortunately, it wasn't easy for me as a journalist either. I was desperate and needed money, so I got an idea. Many people talked about you, the _mysterious_ prince," she said and looked at me. "If I could find a way into the palace, there was a big chance I would have my next story in no time. So I didn't hesitate – I came up with the perfect plan."

"Which was?" I asked.

"Well, I was actually lucky to know a person who worked here. I told her about my job issue, and she said the palace needed a couple of new maids. I learned everything I needed to know, and after a while, I was employed. However, it wasn't an easy job to get. Oh, no. It took me a _very_ long time. But I made it," she said and smiled at herself proudly.

"But if you worked so hard for this, why couldn't you just be happy with the job? I mean, you make money as a maid too," I said.

"I was satisfied for a while. I'll admit that. But when you returned, half a year later, I couldn't stop myself – I wanted the good story I searched for."

I nodded. I understood Mandy. Kind of. She had a goal she wanted to reach at all costs. It didn't make what she had done right. I was mad at her, and I would probably never forgive her. But at least, I knew the truth. Because of that, the whole situation felt a little better for me. Not good. Not okay. But a little better.

"The time is up," my dad suddenly said and entered.

A couple of guards escorted Mandy out of the room. I wondered what they were going to do to her.

My dad sat down in his chair. Me and Kurt quickly made our way to the other side of the desk.

"I would like to speak to you, Blaine," my dad said and turned his gaze to Kurt. "Alone."

"Of course, Your Majesty," Kurt said politely, gave him a nod and left the room.

"Take a seat," my dad said.

I did as I was told, but I truly didn't like the formal feeling of this.

"After everything we've gone through, you choose to do it all again," he said. "Do you think you can just leave when you feel like it? Is that it?"

"No," I said quickly. "Of course not."

"Then _why_ , Blaine? Do you enjoy making your own family look like a joke?" he exclaimed. "Are you that cold and selfish?"

I needed to stand up for myself. It was now or never. "Well, you've raised me, so would it be that odd if he turned out as selfish and cold?"

He gasped. "How dare you," he said and stood up.

Slowly, he walked closer to me. My heart beat faster and faster for every step. Maybe this was a mistake? Maybe I should have kept quiet?

Before I knew it, his hand hit my left cheek with such a power I almost fell off the chair. I groaned in pain, but tried to sit upright. I didn't want him to see me as weak.

I took a deep breath. "We both want different things," I said and really tried to sound confident. "What about a compromise?"

He stared at me in disbelief.

"You can't have it all," I continued. "I can promise to never leave the palace without your permission, to be good with the press and to do my duties exactly as they're supposed to be done. But in return, I want something from you too."

I knew I had taken a huge risk. It was terrifying to wait for his reaction. But I couldn't come up with another solution. To give my dad what he wanted could lead to something good for me too. I might have to give up my changes to go back to America and live a normal life, but it could be worth it – at least, I hoped so.

"And what is that?" he asked.

"You can't hurt me or people I care about physically. You're going to treat me and others with respect. And finally, you will let me and Kurt be together."

He was quiet for a long while. "What if your relationship with Kurt leads to bad publicity? Then you're breaking what you've promised me."

"If one of us breaks a rule, all the rules cease to exist until we decide to give them a new try."

He nodded slowly. "That sounds fair," he said to my surprise.

"So… Do we have a deal?" I asked carefully, not daring to hope.

He stared at me with a cold gaze. I closed my eyes for a second. My cheek hurt after the hit, but I didn't want to show any sign of pain. I was going to do like I always did: try to be strong in front of him, cry in my room later and then use makeup to cover the red mark, pretending it wasn't there.

"Blaine," he said, which made me look at him. "I'm willing to _try_ this. I can afford a lot, but money doesn't seem to keep you under our family's rough, so what choice do I have?"

I stood up. "I'm glad we could agree on something," I said and left the room to my own surprise. It wasn't like me to act this way, but it felt good to walk out on him after everything he'd done.

Kurt hurried to my side as soon as he saw me.

"How did it go?" he asked. His eyes quickly turned their attention to my cheek. " _Oh, God_. I can't believe he did this! Are you okay?" He pulled me into a hug. "Does it hurt much?"

"I'm fine," I said and sighed. "I'm kind of used to it."

"It doesn't make it any less okay," he said softly.

Suddenly, my dad left the office and stopped in front of us. Kurt quickly let go of me.

My dad smiled. Or rather, he _tried_ to smile. "We'll be eating soon. I hope to see you both there," he said.

Kurt looked like a question mark.

"Of course," I replied.

After me and Kurt had eaten with my family, we ended up in my room. We laid on the bed and talked about everything that happened during the day. Kurt rested his head against my chest while I had my arm around him. It felt good. Perfect, even.

* * *

 **No cliffhanger this time. I think it's the first time? ;)**

 **The next chapter will take place one year into the future. How do you think everything will turn out? Will Blaine be okay with his life as a prince? Will Kurt have a new job or not? You'll find out this and more in the final chapter!**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry for the wait! Here's the final chapter!**

* * *

I couldn't believe how fast the time was going. It had been around a year since I stood up for myself and made the deal with my dad. Back then, we'd decided to give my idea a try. I hadn't thought the rules would have worked for very long, but somehow – they had. No more slaps. No more yelling. It felt unreal, but I was so grateful this dream seemed to be a part of the reality.

I had almost forgotten about her. _Mandy_. My dad had asked, or more correctly, _forced_ her to leave London after what she'd done to our family. I had no idea where she went. But somewhere deep inside of me, I hoped she was doing okay. I hoped she had gotten the chance to start over, to begin a new life. Maybe she took an acting class in this very moment?

When it came to me, _Prince Blaine_ , everything was a little more complicated. I was fine, but it still felt like something was missing. Every time I went to an inauguration, attended a meeting or was in public situations, I could barely keep focus. I tried, but my mind always thought of the life I didn't have.

Kurt had luckily been by my side every minute when he wasn't working. He encouraged me to keep going, to hold my head high and believe in myself. His job at Vogue took a lot of his time. But it only made the moments – when we finally were to together – even more memorable. I loved Kurt with all my heart, and I was so happy the press did as well.

For more than half a year ago, I'd done an interview. I had explained the reason why I'd met Kurt the same time as Cooper's birthday celebration. Of course, I hadn't told the reporter everything. To be able to go around the truth was something I had learned in my early years.

"What happened during the day of your brother's birthday, Your Highness?" the male reporter had asked.

"I'm aware of the rumours that has been circulating around, and I would like to apologize for my behavior, but also give a proper explanation," I had replied. "The reason why I left the celebration was to meet my boyfriend. He wasn't able to make it to the palace, so I decided to make it to him. Of course, I did this with my brother's permission and not in any other way."

He had looked a bit surprised by my answer. "Have you and your boyfriend been together for long, Sir?"

"For around two and a half years. We met during my time away from England," I had said and smiled. "I'm very lucky to have him."

He had nodded. "Are you regretting you left the celebration after all the rumors it has caused?"

"For different reasons, I needed to do what I did. Me and my boyfriend, Kurt Hummel, couldn't be happier now. I don't think my actions played the biggest part for our happy ending, but I believe we wouldn't be where we are today if I hadn't taken a few risks on the way."

"That's inspiring, Sir. Are your relationship with Mr Hummel going to affect your work in the future?"

"No, not at all," I had quickly replied. "We both have important things to do in our lives that not includes the other. Our relationship won't stand in the way for that."

He had nodded once again. "Thank you for taking your time, Sir."

"It's been my pleasure," I had finished.

The reactions on the interview had been surprisingly positive. People had written on social media and described the whole scenario as romantic. Many liked I had a life outside the palace. This made it easier for them to see me as one of them instead of a spoiled prince. Of course, there was also a few bad comments scattered over the internet, but when everything came around – when wasn't it?

I ate breakfast when Kurt joined me. He had a big smile on his lips and sat down on the other side of the table.

"You look happy," I said and smiled as well.

"I got a surprise for you," he said.

"Really?" I said and raised my eyebrows. "Let me guess… Have you ordered something special for dinner? Or, um… Have you designed something new you want me to try on?"

I shook his head and went to my side. "We're going to leave the palace soon."

"Leave?" I repeated. "We can't do that. I have a meeting at ten, some paperwork to do and-"

"I've talked to your dad and canceled everything," he interrupted. "My plan is to kind of… kidnap you."

I laughed. "Most kidnappers don't tell their victims that."

"Then I guess I'm not like most kidnappers," he said and squeezed my shoulder. "I love my victim too much. He deserves more than the predictable."

I stood up and kissed him. "I love you. So much."

He kissed me back and then pulled away. His eyes were filled with excitement and the smile made me warm inside. "I have packed your things. All you have to do is eat up your breakfast, get your jacket and phone and lastly, follow me."

I stared at him. "Are you really serious?"

He nodded. "I see you in a while, okay? I need to talk to someone before we go."

I gave him a small nod. I felt slightly confused, but decided to do as he told me. I trusted him.

When I was done with everything, Kurt led me out of the palace. We were followed by two guards. One of them, Tony, opened the door to a black car who was waiting for us.

"Now, close your eyes," Kurt said when the car began to move.

"What?" I said and looked at him. "Is that necessary?"

He took my hand. "Just do it. I'll tell you when you can open them again."

I shook my head with a smile and closed my eyes. "I honestly don't know why you do all this."

He didn't answer, but squeezed my hand. The rest of the drive was quiet. Somehow, I succeeded to fall asleep.

"Wake up, sleepyhead," Kurt said. "You can look now."

I yawned and opened my eyes. I blinked a few times while I looked out of the tinted glass. _The private plane_.

"Kurt, I-"

"We're going back to America, Blaine. Just as you wanted," he said.

I looked at him with tears in my eyes. "Is this for real?"

He nodded and smiled.

I took off my seatbelt quickly and hugged him. "Thank you. Thank you so much," I said under a breath.

He kissed my cheek. "You should get out. Otherwise, we might miss the plane."

I laughed. "Very funny."

The bodyguards took care of our luggage while we made our way to the plane. This didn't feel real to me. Was I dreaming?

When the plane finally lifted, I started to realise it was really happening. I looked at Kurt who was smiling excitedly and squeezed my hand.

"How did you get my dad to agree on this?" I asked.

"It wasn't hard," he replied to my surprise. "As soon as I asked, he said yes – he thought you deserved it."

I _deserved_ it? It was a very big word for my dad. I had only heard him use it once when Cooper had held his first successful speech. My brother had asked for his favorite food for dinner the same day, and my dad had smiled while he said the words: _Of course. You have deserved it, son_. That was a historical moment – according to me.

"Are you sure you heard right?"

Kurt nodded. "He told me what a great job you'd been doing lately. He wanted to give you this as a thank you."

I was almost speechless. "That's… so nice of him."

He nodded again. "Maybe he'll let us go to America once in a while?"

I smiled. "I hope so. How long will we be gone this time?"

"Two weeks. It's not a lot but-"

"It's perfect," I interrupted and kissed him. "Truly perfect."

After the long flight, we made our way to Kurt's house. As soon as we entered both Burt and Carole embraced us with open arms.

"It's so good to see you both," Carole said.

Kurt's dad took me to the side while Kurt excitedly told Carole about his new job.

Burt laid a hand on my shoulder. "I would like to thank you, Blaine."

I raised my eyebrows. "For what?"

He smiled. "Kurt didn't have an easy time in high school, but you helped him to see the light. If his happiness means he has to move to England, I'm not going to stand in the way. I know he's safe with you. You're a great guy."

I blinked away a few tears. "Thank you, Si-"

"You know it's Burt," he interrupted. "In this house we only call our family by first name."

 _Don't cry, Blaine. Keep it together_. "Of course."

He nodded and patted my shoulder. "Lunch is ready," he said and looked at his phone. "Or _dinner_ in your case."

We sat down around the table in the kitchen. The food smelled amazing.

"I've been cooking. I hope you like it," Carole said.

Kurt smiled. "I think you made us all a favor by not letting dad into the kitchen."

"Hey! I'm not that bad," Burt exclaimed.

"You're _pretty_ bad," Kurt said and then looked at me. "If he would have cooked, it would have been close to burned hot dogs on the table."

"At least I never burn them completely!" Burt said to his defense.

Kurt laughed. "I give you that."

I smiled through the whole meal. Kurt's family was truly incredible. They didn't care if I was a prince or not. To be myself was simply enough here. It was all I could ask for and more.

"What would you like to do tomorrow?" Kurt asked me. "Should we talk to the bodyguards first? I don't want them to feel left out."

I laughed and nodded. "I think Tony's biggest dream is to see a musical."

Kurt smiled. "Then it's settled."

Even if the bodyguards needed to follow me around, it felt quite alright. Everything couldn't be perfect. Life was a rollercoaster, and I was finally ready for the ride.

* * *

 **This was the end. I hope you liked it!**

 **I would like to thank every single one of you for reading _Your Highness_. The reviews have been amazing to get, but also the support from you who followed or favorited the story. As well, a big thank you to you guys who just read the chapters without making yourselves seen. You are all awesome!**

 **Will I write a new story? Answer: of course! However, I'm going to take a little break. But I will definitely be back!**

 **If you wonder something about my upcoming stories or anything else, don't hesitate to DM me. I'll always answer :)**


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